


First Meeting

by martianapplecrumble



Series: Of cold Witcher, and the warm one that melted his heart [1]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kaer Morhen, Little Lambert, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Soft Eskel (The Witcher), Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martianapplecrumble/pseuds/martianapplecrumble
Summary: When they made it to the balcony and pushed their way through the other boys (it wasn't too hard, with Eskel being tall and bulky), they finally were able too look at the group of new boys. There weren't a lot of them, about seven, and most of them looked nervous and curious, looking around themselves, their eyes on the castle and its grounds. In any case, they looked more or less set about their fate as to-be witchers.All except one.Or, how Eskel and Lambert met for the first time.
Relationships: Eskel & Lambert (The Witcher)
Series: Of cold Witcher, and the warm one that melted his heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868587
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48





	First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, I occasionally get the urge to write something about Eskel and Lambert, but at the same time I don't want to bother with a whole ass fic. That's why I decided to just make a dump of everything I write about them and update it whenever I feel like it.  
> Little update: I decided it'll be better if I make a series instead, so I can manage the ratings and tags better!

Spring came to Kaer Morhen, and springs in Kaer Morhen meant two things.

First of all, grown-up witchers who weren't teachers or tutors finished their wintering and went back on the Path. That meant Kaer Morhen would become less crowded, and that was a good thing. But that also meant there would be no more stories to be heard in the common room and during meals, and Hemric, the witcher who told Eskel a good deal about monsters and even taught him to draw some of them and to make a new elixir which wasn't a part of their training programme, would leave as well. It also meant that their teachers would become more grumpy and ill-tempered, since their friends and shared ale would no longer cheer them up.

Secondly, it meant newcomers arriving to Kaer Morhen. Boys, some as young as 4 or 5 and some in their early teens. Abandoned boys, lost boys, boys who lost their families to war or poverty or raids or monsters. And also, boys of destiny. There weren't many of those, and they were also the most bitter about their fate. Those who came from the streets were even grateful sometimes: they were given proper healthy meals three times a day, shelter, warm clothes and a bed. Boys of destiny, however, sometimes came from wealthy families, and life in Kaer Morhen and being away from those close to them hurt them like hell.

"Newcomers! Newcomers! Beren 'n Ves brought the new boys in!" one of this classmates shouted, and Eskel jumped to his feet immediately, throwing on a worn red jacket - he made in himself, mind it, and who cared if the sleeves were of different length and the stitches looked weird! - and running to the balcony.

"Geralt, c'mon, put that down and let's go!" he shouted on his way, addressing another witcher, his friend and found brother, who was currently looking though a book in the common room.

"Eskel, I'm studying!" Geralt made a face, nevertheless putting down the book ("Sorceresses: The Fairest of All Time") and catching up with Eskel.

"Studyin' what? Lemme guess... female anathomy?" Eskel smirked.

"Oh, shut up," a punch to his shoulder as Eskel laughed.

When they made it to the balcony and pushed their way through the other boys (it wasn't too hard, with Eskel being tall and bulky), they finally were able too look at the group of new boys. There weren't a lot of them, about seven, and most of them looked nervous and curious, looking around themselves, their eyes on the castle and its grounds. In any case, they looked more or less set about their fate as to-be witchers.

All except one.

"NO! Don't fucking touch me! I won't go to that shitty training place!" someone shrieked as Vesemir and Beren, their tutors, tried to take him out of the cart with doubled efforts.

The balcony was pretty high up and yet the boy screamed so loudly that Eskel could hear every word.

He heard Beren yelp as he pulled his hand away.

"Take me back home, you FUCKERS!" another scream followed.

"Probably bit him," Geralt whispered to Eskel. "Tell you what, he'll be a pain in the ass."

"He's gotta be a child of destiny," Eskel shrugged, his brows knitting. "Must've been a nobility or somethin' of the sort. Imagine being put here after all the luxury, I mean, we are used to it, but-"

His speech was cut short as Geralt poked him in the ribs and nodded to look below. Eskel did, just in time to see Vesemir pull the boy out, holding him under the arms.

The boy screamed, wiggled and kicked, making it difficult to have a proper look at him, but one thing was evident: he was no nobility. His clothes were ragged and plain, and his face was nearly grey with dirt.

Vesemir shouted something to Beren, and Eskel saw the other witcher do a sign with his fingers, and after that, the boy went limp in Vesemir's arms. Axii.

Now Eskel could also see that he had black hair, and that his arms and legs were also grey. Also, that the boy was thin as a stick.

"Doesn't look like nobility to me," Geralt shrugged. "No idea why he acts like that. Maybe had a run-in with a witcher or something?"

Eskel scratched his brow, and then set his mind.

" 'm gonna talk to him," he said, crossing his arms.

Geralt looked at him like he'd just said he is planning to set the castle on fire.

"Es, are you mad? Haven't got enough bruises at the practice?"

"Maybe somethin's bothering him. Don't usually see a ragged boy screaming his soul out over being brought here," Eskel said, firmly, as he watched Vesemir carry the boy to the castle. "I'll talk to him and that's it."

In any case, he couldn't stand watching someone suffer here, and especially suffer more than the usual amount. The training, the punishments, the trials. Add emotional pain to that and life here will become unbearable hell. Eskel wanted to help, in any way he could, to make being here less horrible to the black-haired boy.

"Eh, fine. I'll cover up for you if needed," Geralt shrugged, tucking a strand of his white hair behind his ear.

***

"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

Eskel ducked, successfully dodging a shoe thrown at him and even managing not to let the food he was carrying fall to the floor.

"Hey, hey," he said in a calming tone. "Not gonna hurt you, little guy."

"Oh but I _am_ gonna hurt you," the boy snapped at him, taking off his other shoe.

"Hey, look," Eskel said, quietly, putting the tray onto the table - in case the boy decides to hit it and send all the food to waste, and he needed to eat. "Will you hear me out first? You can throw stuff at me all you want after that, okay?"

The boy looked at him then, with large, green eyes, tear stains visible on his dirty cheeks. A kid's eyes could only hold so much fury.

"They sent you here, didn't they? The fuckers. To talk to me. Except that's not gonna do shit. I'll be a fucking menace until they fucking take me back home!" he shouted at Eskel as thin fingers clutched at the bed sheets.

But Eskel didn't feel any anger at that outburst. Only pity. He understood then that all that anger came from sadness and sorrow, and though he had no idea what happened, his decision to help the boy only grew stronger.

"No one sent me here. In fact, I could get punished for going here. My brother's covering up for me. I came 'coz I wanted to. Wanted to listen to you, and give you food. You didn't come to lunch with the rest of the newbies, right?"

The boy was quiet, picking at a long scratch on his arm. Up close, Eskel noticed that his arms had plenty of bruises of them, all of them old and yellowish though.

"Why the fuck should I trust you? Why'd you want to help me?" the boy eyed him suspiciously, but his voice wasn't as full of rage as before.

"Saw you in the yard today. Thought you'd need some comfort," Eskel shrugged. "Mind if I sit down?"

"I don't need your fucking comfort," the boy stuck out his tongue at him, crossing his arms. But he also moved to the side, making room for Eskel.

Eskel sighed and sat, noticing that the boy was throwing hungry glances at the food.

"C'mon, eat. No one wants you to starve."

"I'd rather starve then stay here," the boy muttered but when Eskel reached out to the tray and gave him a piece of bread, he bit into it hungrily, closing his eyes. Eskel felt sadness tug at his chest. Whatever happened to the boy, his life wasn't heaven before this.

"Are you a witcher?" the boy asked once he was done with the bread.

"Yeah," Eskel replied. "Well, my training ends in an year, but technically, yeah."

"And how did you end up here?"

"Well, I-" Eskel passed the boy the bowl of soup he was eyeing rather hungrily, clearly wanting to eat but too stubborn to ask for it. He kept speaking as the boy ate. "Don't remember much. Used to live on Skellige, with my mom and sister. Don't remember them much either. When I asked Ves, he told me I ran up to him and asked if I can be a rad monster hunter. An' well, on Skellige they encourage this, being brave and fighting an' all, so my mom was kinda proud to give me to Ves. That's it."

"So you chose to be a witcher?"

"Yeah, I guess? 'S not that bad."

The boy chewed on his lip as he set his spoon down, thinking about something. He turned to Eskel again, his eyes now big and sad.

"And your mom? Didn't you miss her?"

"I did," Eskel admitted with a sigh. "But it passed. I was like six when Ves brought me here, so I started forgetting."

The boy lowered his gaze, picking at the scratch again, his bottom lip trembling. Eskel reached out gently, patting his back, noticing how the boy flinched at that, but stayed where he was, not lashing out or moving away.

"Wanna talk about your home?" Eskel asked gently, in the softest voice he could manage.

The boy was silent, pulling at a loose thread on his old, ragged shirt, and when he spoke, his voice was shaking so terrible that it made Eskel ache.

"Wanna go home. Wanna go to Mom. She said I'm the light of her life... and that fucking witcher... he just took me away and left her with that fucker... alone..."

The boy's fingers clenched his shirt when Eskel moved closer to hug him, holding his shaking form as tears soaked Eskel's red jacket.

Eskel rocked him gently, let him let all his anger and sadness out, and it was painful, so painful that it made Eskel's chest hurt. It was truly not fair that the boy had to go through this - why did Vesemir even pick him up at the first place? Weren't there enough starving kids in the streets who would only be happy to have a place to live? "That fucker", the boy said, and what did he mean by "that fucker"? Was it his father? Was it- was he the reason for the bruises on the boy's arms?

The boy stopped shaking with sobs, sniffling quietly.

"I'll talk with Ves, okay? I don't promise anything'll come out of it though, never heard of anyone leaving the place once they've arrived. But at least I'll make him ashamed," Eskel said in a soft voice, patting the boy on the back.

"Mhm. Thanks," the boy nodded into his shoulder, his voice raspy from crying.

"And if you need anythin', find me. I'm usually in my dorm up the South tower, or at the barn with the goats, or at the stables. Will do what I can, okay?"

The boy sighed, nodding.

"You aren't like the fuckers," he whispered. "What's your name?"

"Eskel. And yours?"

"Lambert. And don't you fucking call me Lamb, okay? Or I'll bite your hand off."

"I won't, I won't. Wasn't planning to," Eskel murmured. "Lambert it is then. You want anything right now?"

"Yeah. Want my stuff from the cart. And also-" the boy- Lambert, as Eskel knew now, wiggled his way out of Eskel's hands (Eskel let him go straight away) and reached for the tray of food, grabbing the cup of herbal tea and the small honey cake Eskel managed to sneak from the kitchen. "Want this shit. 'm thirsty as fuck."

"That's all yours," Eskel smiled gently, feeling better now that the boy was more or less content. "I'll bring your stuff here, jus' give me a minute. Any clues for what it's like?"

"In a cloth with blue flowers on it. I hid it well so those witcher fucks wouldn't find it, but I'll tell you - it's below the seat, covered by hay."

"Got it. I'll be back soon."

It was getting darker, and Eskel lit a candle without a second thought, casting Igni as he always did, and not noticing how Lambert's eyes shone at that movement.

"That's way cooler that the fucking knockout sign! Show me how to do it!"

Eskel didn't even realise what Lambert was talking about, but then he did.

"Oh, Igni, you mean. Well, okay. You've got to hold your fingers like this - and put your palm a bit forward. They'll teach you that anyway, but..."

The boy tried to repeat the motions, and stared at his palm, bewildered, when it started to smoke.

"Holy shit!" he gasped. "How the fuck?"

"It takes practice," Eskel chuckled, impressed. "That's actually hella awesome for a first try. Geralt took a week to start making a light flame - fuck, Beren was so angry with him."

" 'coz Beren's a fucker, that's why," Lambert grumbled. "Now, show me how this Igni shit is done again."


End file.
